ASEANEWS HEADLINE-ASIA AIR POLLUTION | ASEAN urged to take extra measures on regional haze amid rising health concerns
A woman walks as haze shrouds Petronas Twin Towers and other commercial buildings in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Oct. 13, 2026. Toxic haze has shrouded parts of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore for weeks as Indonesian authorities struggle to contain fires that have scorched large tracts of Kalimantan and Sumatra, with the smoke drifting across the region. (AFP/Mohd Rasfan)
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WATCH VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aG8xLHnrwXY
Southeast Asia Haze: Air pollution in western part of Singapore hits ‘very high’ band
A dramatic decline in air quality… Singapore and Malaysia engulfed in thick smog from weeks-long fires blazing in neighbouring Indonesia. Singapore’s 1-hour PM 2.5 reading in the west hit its highest level since 2015 at 3pm local time. The region recorded 288 — crossing the ‘Very High’ band. The figures have since dropped but remain in the unhealthy range. The city-state has rolled out additional measures including distributing N95 masks to the vulnerable population. Haze shelters have also been set up while sports facilities have been closed as a precaution. In Malaysia, nearly 30 areas logged unhealthy air quality readings of more than 100 forcing schools to shut. Indonesia’s Borneo and Sumatra at the heart of the disaster. Hundreds of thousands of hectares of forests and plantations have already been scorched. The government is assessing offers from other countries to help fight the fires. It’s aiming to extinguish the blazes within a month. But efforts have been complicated due to difficult terrain and poor visibility. Chandni Vatvani reports from Jakarta.
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Toxic transboundary haze makes Petailing Jaya in Malaysia look like it is in misty highlands despite being located less than 100 meters above sea level, says a resident.
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S eptember is usually the month when haze comes down to Selangor, Malaysia, where Evelyn Toh, 54, lives, but this year, she thinks the haze is “the worst” in recent years.
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The pollution makes Petailing Jaya in Selangor look like it is in misty highlands despite being located less than 100 meters above sea level.
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“I was driving last week and I could see the car in front, but I cannot see the traffic light about 100 meters ahead,” Evelyn told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.
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Aside from visibility concerns, the university lecturer was also concerned about the health impact from the toxic pollution, as she heard some friends had fallen sick from various respiratory illnesses at the moment.
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Thick smoke and foul odour emerging from Duke Highway drains alarms motorists
‘Menakutkan’: Drivers raise safety concerns after smoke and stench rise from Duke Highway grates. Photo source: @snapaholicphotography/Threads.
MOTORISTS travelling along the Duta–Ulu Klang Expressway (DUKE) towards Kuala Lumpur were alarmed this morning after thick smoke and a foul odour began emerging from several drain grates just past the Sentul Toll Plaza.
A Threads user, @snapaholicphotography, highlighted the incident in a brief post, reporting that smoke was seen billowing from drains heading towards the capital city.
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Evelyn herself has suffered from itchy throat, nose and eyes, and she is taking care of her two elderly parents whose breathing is affected by the declining air quality.
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“I sort of learned how to adapt to live with it already,” she said.
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“We try not to go out so often, but what to do? I have to work. But it does affect people.”.
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With haze from wildfires in Indonesia reaching neighboring regions such as Malaysia, pressure is growing on the Indonesian government and ASEAN to push for extra measures against transboundary haze, as toxic pollution raises health concerns among local populations.
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Thick haze blankets Simpang Renggam, raising road safety concerns
BERNAMA PicTHICK haze in Simpang Renggam, Johor, this morning has raised safety concerns, with visibility severely reduced and motorists struggling to see the road ahead.
The situation was shared by a Threads user, who posted footage believed to have been recorded at about 7.35am today.
The video showed the road almost disappearing from view, with only streetlights and vehicle headlights faintly visible in the distance.
“Where is this? I can barely recognise the road in Simpang Renggam because the haze is so thick,” she commented.
READ MORE: Haze: Malaysia still awaiting Indonesia’s response to firefighting aid offer – DPM Zahid
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READ MORE: https://thesun.my/going-viral/thick-haze-blankets-simpang-renggam-raising-road-safety-concerns/
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Several regions in Malaysia have seen their air quality drop to unhealthy levels according to measurement by Swiss-based air monitoring company IQAir.
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Kharishar Kahfi
The Jakarta Post PREMIUM
Jakarta
Thu, October 15, 2026
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@[email protected]
